Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-10-12
A FATAL MISTAKE.
The Terrible Results OF q Bad
Case OF Love-SiclSness.
Youthful Eeciuse Tells the Story OF .
Disastrous railroad Collision Caused
~ Ills Own Criminal Care
lsSsnoss.

Away Up on the slope OF tho Allegheny
Mountains. four or five miles from Union
town and only n few steps OF the line Of
the old Cumberland pike, a little plain
board cabin stands. II isn't much bigger
than good sized dog Kennel and Il is set so
far back among the rocks aud trees that IL
can not be seen more than one hundred
yards away. But there IL a clcaaly. home
like air about the place that speags as posi-
tvcly "a words OF the refinement Of the
owner. Tho owner himself Is somcwh-t Of
mystery 10 tho great majority Of the sim
PIE minded mountain folk who live in that
vicinity, but 90 the select few who enjoy his
confidence ho Is q friend whose friendship
~ - solid IS the rocks on which his little
home Ia built A Pittsburgh DbDdfeh re-
porter rambling over the mountains STUN
bed all unexpectedly upon the secluded
dwelling. Tho occupant was sitting in q
homemade hammock just outside the door,
adjusting n hsh line 20 pretty jointcd rod.
n daily paper lay ON the ground at his feet.
He was young man, not moro than
thirty years OF ago, but his hair
and mustachc were as white as silver, and
there was IN expression Of sadness on his
face which seemed TO be habitual His
clothing was old and worn, but II was well
kept and neat for all that, and IL was worn
with grace that is not born in tho mount
ain districts. lie welcomed his visitor as
heartily Us though he had known him for
years. and his invitation 10 take o scat and
rest almost amounted 10 n command. Dur
ing the course Of the two hours converse
tipn which followed he told the sad story Of
his life and the combination Of ci=cun-
stances which led him 70 leave the hebita-
tons Of men and so away into the mountain
by himself.
II was raised and educated In Pitts
burgh," he said. ~ learned tclccraphy in
tho Western Union oftice, and when not
yet twenty years Of age was put in charge
Of an Onico on q railroad out in Ohio. It
doesn't make any difference what Office IL
was or what road IL was on, il YVES en- oslce
and rather important one at that. I hndn't
been in my new position more than six
weeks when ! fell desperately in love with q
girl who lived only block from my ofice.
The attachment was mutual, and when the
ak weeks had heightened into six months
we were engaged. One night IL was Feb
ruGry, 150-I had been TO sec ny sweet
heart and about midnight was sitting IN my
Office thinking Of the coming wedding, and
feeling US happy Rs any young man with
bright prospects ahead Of him could feel,
when word came over the wires that spe-
cial freight was coming over khe main track
westward. IL was still thirty miles ayycy,
and after recording the fact that il was com
ing nay thoughts required to tho little girl
down the street.
Ten minutes later the conductor Of the
east-bound express caInc in for orders. AN
right, Bill said, as glanccI up and saw
him, and minute later he was on his train,
speeding away ut n twenty five mile all hour
gait. The rear lights were scarcely out of
sight when happened to look at my desk
There was nothing there but my instru-
mont and a bit of paper, but that bit of pal
per was enough. There, in pain letters on
II. were tho words had written not moro
than q quarter of an hour before: Extra
freight, tell Bill 10 sidctrack' The express
has to sidetrack, you know. because the
switches were not long enough for frcights.
My hair fairly stood on end. There was
that freight coming on with full steam,
with tho express going to meet it at tho
ratio Of twenty-five miles ~ hour. fell
back in my chair, and the cold pcrspiration
broke ont all over nc. Then I graspcd tho
key 10 my instrument and called in succcs-
sion oil tho Offices intervening between the
two trains. They were all day u!iccs. and
tho operators had gonc homo hours before
Tho clicking Of the instrument sounded 20
my excited imagination as loud as the dis
charge Of caunons. For five minutes
called in tho desperate hope that some one
would hear me in timo 10 stop tho czprcss.
But il was no use. Every Office was closed.
~ dropped tho key and ran down tho
stairs and out onto the track I thiak l
had n wild hope that could ovortalte the
express, but as soon rs I got into the open
air realized the folly Of any such attempt,
and with ;hc feeling Of tho most utter de-
spair returned 10 tho Office and dropped
into tho chair. But couldn't sit still. The
instrument on the desk seemed to mock mo
aud tho air in the Office seemed sitting. |
walked out on tho track again and walked
back and forth along tho cross ties, waiting
for tho result. l knew IL must como. and
tnstinCtivcly stayed within hearing distance
CT tho instrument.
at seemed an age, but in reality il
wasn't moro than half an hour, till tho
soundor clicked aud | ran upstairs. hoping
beyond hope that some lucky circumstance
had avcrtod IA disaster. was so nervous
that could scarcely hold the key 10 an
swrr. Then | laid back and waited Gs the
instrument clicked what seemed TO me 10 be
MY death sentence: Express and freight
collidcd. Nineteen killed; many injured
1.-TWO weeks later rcgaincd my senses
had boon lowering around between LIE
and dca:h during the interval, ind / was
still So weak that l could scarcely move q
finger But | recovered rapidly, nnd then
they told me the awful details. Both engi-
nccrs and the conductor Of the passenger
train, rs well as sixteen passen gers, had
been killed. The list Of injured ran up TO
nearly nifty. Tho trains had mot on n curve,
and thc passenger had been thrown over an
embGnkmcnt thirty feet high. Tho cor
oncr's jury had heard all the details and
had cxoncratcd INC. although tell you now
! would rather ut that time they had
hanged mo. All through my sickness nv
sweetheart watched over me and nursod
INC, and when l recovered she was kindness
and consideration itself. But WAS In no
mood for lovc-making.
AS soon as was able to leave the hos
pitnl went to Pittsburgh. and from there
came out hero. intending TO stay a month or
80, till my nerves would got stronger ]
stayed all summer, and then 1t was 80 quiet
and secluded here that built me this little
cabin, and I've boon here ever since.
Glow do livel Well, had n little money
In tho bank and IL don't cost much TO live uu
horo. When tho moneys I'LL gone, reckon
Ill be ready to go myself go 70 Union.
town OF Conncllsvillo once in awhile. bu,
outside OF those places l hnvo not beer
away from here for ten years"
AFTER MANY YEARS.